Aunt Sally | Lagunitas Brewing Company

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Notes / Commercial Description:
A Unique Dry-Hopped Sweet Tart Sour Mash Ale. We soured the wort on the Hot Side with Lactobacillus for a few days and then brewed up this smooth and hoppy sour. It tastes like a big bowl of fruity candy or some chewable flavored vitamins, but what's the difference? It's sweet, tart, and sassy, just like the tasty cherry pie that your favorite aunt makes. For all the Aunt Sally's out there, You know who you are...

More User Reviews:

A- Twelve ounce bottle cascades into my tulip glass with a mostly clarified golden body and a tall white cap. The head is fluffy in texture and shows good retention before ending as a very thick ring at the edges. Massive lacing immediately.

S- What impressed me the first time having this was the integration of the hops and the sour mash and that is very evident in the aroma. Dry hops provide a citrus and tropical fruit element which layers onto the tart lactic acid to remind me of tart peaches and slight passionfruit.

T- Arrives at a similar destination as the aroma but more opens up here with the sour mash aspect of the brew really coming on with yogurt lactic acid, lemon sours, raw wheaty grains and a slight hint of sweetness. The finish brings on the hoppiness with tart lemons, orange, tangerine, apricot and a touch of passionfruit. Again, the integration of the two elements is what makes this beer special.

MF- Fluffy and slightly creamy consistency on the palate in this medium bodied brew. Carbonation right around a medium level and the beer leaves mostly tartness on the taste buds with slight lingering floral bitterness.

I am glad this brew didn't fall under my review radar. Lagunitas delivers a brew here that comes off as somewhat simple only because the main elements of the beer, tart and hoppy, are integrated into each other masterfully.

It makes sense that this is a Lagunitas sour. They soured a hoppy pale ale. It's a delicious combination of very fresh hops and tart, sour beer. This sample was clearly fresh from the strength and vibrancy of the aroma and flavor.

Yuck. Had a bad gustatory day today hopefully capped off by this. First I got a stale pastry from a Cuban bakery, then this beer (after some better beers). The two bad tastes are just about equal. This beer tastes like fermented pickle juice. Doesn't work. I love other Lagunitas offerings but this is a NO GO. I started to question the impetus behind this beer. Aunt Sally...I thought...Oh right "please excuse my dear aunt Sally" the weird order of operations mnemonic device. "Why?", I thought. A closer inspection of the bottle reveals the image of Aunt Sally. Now the horrible truth becomes clear...Aunt Sally, of course a gross older woman. This is what she tastes like! Stanks, but no stanks Lagunitas!

Fortunately I have some Bells Hopsoulution laying around. I'm sure any beer would taste better after Aunt Sally, but Hopsoulution literally tastes like an orange lollipop after this incident! I guess that's Aunt Sally's only saving grace...she makes other beers taste better [insert nauseating dirty joke].

A: Golden colored with brassy hues. Fine-bubbled creamy white head retains at a finger and a half. Ample stickage and the webby and chunky lacing clings everywhere.

S: Earthy hop notes on the nose. Pine, resin, bark, dank bud. Pale malt and some lactic tartness poke through, as well as some orangey/lemoney notes.

T: Opposing forces clash as the dank and earthy hop flavor competes with lactic tartness. Pine, bark, dank weed and middling bitterness vs orangey and lemoney lactic flavor with a tartness that is just strong enough to elicit a pucker. Some underlying pale malt is perceptible too, bringing just a bit of sweetness to round it out. It's all brought together in a strange but functional union by the time the beer finishes.

M: Medium bodied. Mild bracing hop astringency dries things a bit. The tartness and crisp carbonation go a long way, making it quaffable and refreshing.

O: The differing flavor profiles are strange at first, but I found my palate adjusted quickly and 'got it' by the end. The bitter/sweet/tart elements keep each other in check and it ends up being a crushable drink. Lagunitas is on to something with this beer I think. This is the first very affordable sour style I can think of that will go more or less mainstream (for craft beer) in its availability. I think there's a yet to be filled demand in the market for a beer like this, especially in the on-premise (draft) world. I'm very interested to see how it is received and where it goes from here.

Pours a clear copper color with a thick foamy head. Head retention and lacing are both excellent. Has a nice citrus aroma with small amount of piney resin. Do not detect much sourness to the aroma. The sourness is definitely evident in the taste. Not overpowering but is somewhat astringent and salty. Still detect citrus with some resin and a moderate amount of bitterness. Light bodied with moderate carbonation. I have never had a beer like this before. The sourness is a little too tart at the end. Almost likely drinking straight grapefruit juice.

This is one of the worst tasting beers I've had. I am all about Hops, but this beer is so overly tart and sour it's almost undrinkable. It's like lemon juice mixed with pickle juice. I've tried a lot of Lagunitas beers, and this is the first bad one I've had. I can't imagine someone enjoying this beer.

Little to no head.
Smell is just fruit.
Taste is just like a hoppy sour. I like it. Not as good as almanac citra but gets pretty close at a reasonable cost. A 6pk is the same price as the citra almanac 375ml bottle. Cool

Lemon citrus aroma, with a bit of pine. Very tart flavor, with lemons and limes, a little bit of bread through the middle and a surprisingly piney, hoppy finish. Really refreshing and tasty. It would be really nice on the deck in the summer.

A great looking beer, good lacing for a sour. A sour, almost catty nose ... a little strange. Light bodied with a sourness that stays. Fresh resin from the hops flaunts that dry-hopped quality. Faint biscuity tone in the middle, more tartness and a hint of alcohol. Not bad but sort of a one and done for me.

Maybe I set my expectations too low but this one really blew me back. Great flavor for a sour beyond the "sour". I got an incredible fruit flavors. My taste buds went into sensory overload as it flowed across my tongue, like little sour fairies were dancing. Overall, very good, I would definitely return to this ale in the future if it were available.

L: Pours brilliant gold to straw gold (SRM 4-5) producing a stiff, sticky white 3” foam cap that takes nearly 4 minutes to reduce to 1/3 its original size leaving Jack Frost type lace. Even after 5 minutes a mound of lace still floats on top of the beer.
S: Citrus, grassy herbs, a hint of fresh laundry.
T: Attacks with malt and a trace of sweetness then a wave of of sour tartness takes over supported by citrus and light malt notes. Light fruity malt flavors provide balance. Hops present more as herbal and fruit than bitterness.
F: Light to medium light body, very effervescent, crisp and refreshing.
O: The parts meld together pretty well in the beer resulting in a very refreshing, characterful drink on a warm afternoon.

Appearance: Pours a bright golden orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. Solid finger of white head that slowly settles into a thin patchy layer.

Smell: A pretty juicy and sour aroma with a scent of citrus and wild yeast. Upfront citrus hop scent of orange peel, mango, grapefruit, and lemon along with pineapple, peach, and green apple. Sour and tart scent of lacto yeast. Also some dank hints of piney and grassy hops. Malt hints of grains and cracker. An interesting and solid smell.

Taste: Like it smells, a juicy and sour taste with notes of citrus fruit and wild yeast. Juicy citrus hop notes of grapefruit, orange peel, mango and lemon zest along with some notes of green apple, peach, and pineapple. Sour and tart notes of lacto yeast. Some earthy hop notes of pine and grass. Malt notes of cracker, wheat, and grains. A little candied sugar as well. A pretty nice tart and juicy taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Crisp, juicy, and drying.

Overall: A pretty solid twist on a Sour. Nice blend of juicy citrus flavor with the sour yeast.